The Way to Enlightenment
by Arcanus Prime
Summary: Jazz is that hip and happening bot, with a bad concept of time and an even worse concept of silence, yet Prowl is the object of his attraction. Where Circuit-Su masters clash, there is sure to be sparks. TF: Animated, with obvious slash.


**The Way To Enlightenment**

by Soggy Phoenix and Arcanus Prime

Disclaimer: We (Soggy Phoenix and I) do not own Transformers. If we did, we'd probably make this more canon than the pairing already is.

Full Summary: Shortly after the elite guard ship lands on Earth, one bot aids another in his quest for inner peace. Jazz is that hip and happening bot, with a bad concept of time and an even worse concept of being quiet. Yet Prowl is the object of his attraction. Where Circuit-Su masters clash, there is sure to be sparks, more than just of weapons hitting weapons. (TF: Animated. With slash. Duh.)

Jazz pulled Prowl away from his comrades, giving Magnus a private warning that he probably wouldn't be back for a bit. "You seem like a happenin' bot, and you know this planet as well as being another Circuit Su disciple. Wanna give me a tour?"

In reality, this was the mech that had helped him achieve enlightenment through the Circuit Su way, but he wasn't going to say anything. Primus, that was better saved for closed doors, and hopefully in his quarters.

"A tour?" Prowl asked, surprised. It was rare for someone to approach him, let alone ask for his aid, unless that someone was Bumblebee. Typically, Bumblebee attempted to annoy him in doing so, anyway.

This Jazz character, he had seen him once or twice before, but he never thought the mech had taken any notice of him. "Ah, very well, if you wish. I know some good places to meditate," the black mech replied, offering the smallest hint of a smile to the elite guard officer. "This way."

He transformed, leading Jazz off the main road and into the shrubbery, into the forest.

Jazz shrank into his chassis, unsure of how to put anything. He didn't want to hurt Prowl's feelings or anything, but this wasn't his original idea. Green and brown did not mix well with white, and he was a social bot, anyway. A quiet room filled with beautiful things was nothing compared to a city with bright lights and pounding music. "Er, Prowlster? No offense or anything, but I had in mind asphalt and steel, not dirt and leaves..."

"...Oh." There was a brief pause, as the ninja-bot realized what the other mech was implying. "Very well." He had assumed that another such as himself would appreciate this planet to it's fullest, and yes, perhaps that did include the cities as well, though he wasn't sure why. Most civilized planets had cities and gathering centers, large concentrations of the dominant species, but this planet had a beauty he had never seen before. Why was it so hard to find anyone else who respected that beauty as he did? "This way. Come along."

"You okay, man?" Jazz pulled up to the cycleformer, feeling both sheepish and ashamed. Prowl had only been trying to share something he held dear with Jazz, and Jazz and just coldly denied him. "If ya want, we can spar later... I could teach you a few moves..." he paused, surging forward once more. "Besides, nothing wrong with mixing the flashy with the quiet!"

It was as blatant a hint as he would let out, and he had hoped Prowl would pick up on it.

"I suppose," came the calm reply, as Prowl gave no further indication that he cared for the other as well. "I would enjoy that, I must admit." He made his way back to the road, easily maneuvering around the cars and other traffic, able to keep up with the customized car that was his escort.

Jazz seethed quietly, knowing that he would have to try harder and be more direct with this mech. He had effortlessly had mechs and femmes alike, so why was Prowl the only one that made him feel tongue-tied, so to speak? Groaning to himself, he moved closer. "Good. I'll hold ya to that."

Prowl shrugged, transforming. "Very well. You said you wanted to see the city, didn't you? Have a look around, but do not touch or harm anything. The people in this part of the city know us."

Jazz transformed as well, looking down at the organics, a smile curving his features. He had been here, long ago, and he had enjoyed the sights just as much as he did now. However, it seemed that most humans and most Transformers had forgotten their previous relationships, if Magnus and Sentinel were anything to go by. Spotting Prowl with his back turned to him, talking to some small organic, the saboteur had an unobstructed view of his aft. With a sly look around him, a hand went and easily tapped it.

Prowl lurched, startled. "Ach! Jazz, what was that for?" he asked, turning to the saboteur in frustration. "Do you really think you can go around doing that to any old bot?"

"I wouldn't do it to just any old bot," Jazz teased, making sure his hand stayed there for a longer time this time around. "I do it to you! Are you any old bot?" he grinned tauntingly, watching his fellow Circuit Su disciple grow irritated.

"Hm, I suppose not. Still, is this any way to treat your fellow warrior?" The ninja, however, made no further protest, and shook his head. "Anything else you wish me to show you?"

Jazz wondered briefly if he should even try anymore, seeing as how the mech in front of him was so apathetic and clueless to his hints. "Slag, Prowl, I want to see everything. _Everything._"

"Very well, but there is more to this planet than the city. There are strange, vast deserts, and forests, and an expanse of H20 that seems to go on into oblivion..." he suddenly stopped, remembering that this planet had once before been visited by their race, back during the great war. "Well, be more specific?"

Jazz offlined his optics in pain, wondering if he should just share an energy burst in front of everyone, declare to the organics that he was in love with this stubborn yet wonderful mech, and live with the consequences. He wanted to see Prowl move, both on the berth and off. How was he going to say that?

The straight-forward saboteur, not one to beat around the bush or lie, decided to tell the truth and all of the truth. But he would do it privately.

_"I want to see you move stealthily, both on and off the berth."_ He then transformed and sped off in the direction of the woods, assured that he would be followed.

Prowl stared at him for a moment, in a state of utter, shock, but what was he to do now? He couldn't just let him race off like that. He transformed, following the saboteur cautiously.

Jazz sat down in the middle of the forest and offlined his optics, letting a somewhat mocking hum leave his vocal circuits as he awaited Prowl. He had to come up with a good reason other than 'I think that I love you' or 'Please, don't hurt me, but you have the best aft this side of the galaxy...'

He stood, after driving up alongside the other mech and transforming. "Well, if you want me to show you a thing or two, how about a match, then?"

Jazz looked up at him, tilting his head. "As long as I get to show YOU a thing or two after the match," Jazz implied hopefully, standing and pulling out his nunchuks. He was a Circuit Su master who had achieved the ultimate goal, enlightenment. He was not afraid of Prowl.

Prowl was no master, but he had trained for most of his life in the ways of circuit-su. He was determined to show jazz what he was made of. Simple repair-bot he may have been, but he was no pushover. "Very well. However, do not count me as a weakling. I want to see everything you've got."

"Fine then!" Jazz crouched down before beginning the match, striking Prowl alongside his leg before moving his other nunchuk to the mech's head, a leg kicking out at the same time. He was aiming to end this quickly, and somehow manage to land on top of Prowl so it could transfer seamlessly into the next segment of their outing.

Prowl, however, was ready for the blows and took them, sliding back from the sheer ferocity behind them. He held his arms up to block any incoming attacks, and cautiously stepped up onto a branch. He'd have to stay at long range, if he didn't want to be overwhelmed by those nunchaku.

Jazz crouched down and spun with a leg out, using his hands to continue spinning in a tight and increasingly speedy circle. His nunchuks began striking Prowl's knees as Jazz whirled around, soon coming to a stop behind the black and gold mech. Easily slinging his nuchuks around the other's neck platings and striking his aft lightly, teasingly, Jazz ended up grinning.

The black mech felt as though he had been defeated, but he wasn't about to allow it to end here. He whirled around, using the chain against his neck as leverage for his spin, delivering a swift kick across the chest to the unsuspecting saboteur. He lept back, pulling his shuriken out, ready for the attack once again.

Jazz stumbled back, holding his chestplates and staring down at Prowl with a mixture of shock and pride. But this was going to end, now, seeing as how that had hurt. With a swift kick, Jazz knocked the cycleformer down to the ground. Pinning him with ease, straddling him, the saboteur placed his nunchuks against his neck. "Do I win?" he breathed, making sure his face was close to Prowl's.

"It seems that you have," Prowl commented coldly, placing a hand upon the mech's shoulder. "You are truly a master, it seems."

Jazz did not move from his position, quite happy with pinning Prowl to the ground. "You aren't so bad yourself, but do you want to show me a whole new set of moves?" he was being suggestive, and to further his point, he placed a hand on his captive's chestplates.

"Hmph, but even the master should not act full of himself," Prowl responded with a smirk, He was tempted to fight his way out of this, if only to further frustrate the saboteur. He had waited so long to meet him face to face, perhaps as an equal, but he knew he was inferior, and felt a pang of unhappiness tear at him. "Very well."

Jazz paused, peering down at the cycleformer. With a sheepish jolt, he rolled over, letting Prowl be on the top. Responding with a grin to his rather surprised stare, Jazz pulled Prowl down. "I'll be an equal, especially with moves like yours. But can you impress me on a whole other level?" he lay back, head tilted, clearly allowing Prowl to do as he wished.

"I am...not quite sure I'm up for this sort of interaction," Prowl admitted, aware that now it was his turn to disappoint the other mech. "We've only just begun to know one another, on the spiritual level."

"Mmmmm..." Jazz replied, easily sliding Prowl off. "You're right, my dear cycleformer," hiding his disappointment behind vorns of practice, he smiled. "I'd still love to spar with you sometimes, maybe teach you a few tricks?"

Prowl landed easily on his feet, stretching. "I would enjoy that. I once looked up to you as a youngling. I would be honored to learn from you.

"Very well then," Jazz decided not to press the other issue, sorrowfully noting that there was a barrier that was stricter than hate. It was time, and time could never be beaten, no matter how flashy or how masterful of Circuit-Su he was. The saboteur would have to wait, just like everyone else, and it killed him from the inside out. "I will see you in an earth day, then?"

"An earth day then," Prowl agreed, nodding slightly. "I must meditate and reflect upon this battle we have had. Perhaps I could have learned a thing or two."

"Very well," Jazz transformed back into his sleek alt-mode, quickly taking his leave. He supposed he would never stop trying to woo the cycleformer, if only to have Prowl by his side, but there was that slagged barrier.

Time was insurmountable, and to beat the odds, one had to have patience. Undeniably long and wonderful patience.

Jazz came back upon the clearing, not surprised to find Prowl already there. The Elite Guard member had had to convince Sentinel to take his patrol route for the day, and it had ended up in Jazz's favor. "Penny for your thoughts?" Jazz quipped, sitting down.

Prowl onlined his optics, unmoving from his stance. "I was wondering, if we have been to this planet before, why did we not attempt to end war upon it? I may not be an enlightened mech, but it seems that all we are doing is destroying this paradise of an organic haven..."

He kept his intakes controlled, and attempted to draw his attention away from Jazz. The mech was so...different than he, but at the same time, they had so much in common. Prowl liked things simple, well thought out, and perfectly executed. There was no room for flashy or fun, or loud, for that matter. "I am unsure of what to do, of how I should help...what do you believe?"

"We did try to save this planet from war, and we defeated the Decepticons around this solar system..." Jazz admitted, shaking his head almost sadly. "However, this planet seems destined to be our battleground, all throughout our existence. If you really want to know what I believe, it is that this planet cannot be saved by us alone. We all would have to leave this planet, forever, if we were to rescue the verdant greens..." there was a sigh, and he turned to Prowl once more, smiling again. "But why think of such unhappy things? Come on, be more upbeat!"

"And I wonder, how you can be such a lighthearted mech," the black ninja retorted, allowing a dangerous smile to cross his face. "So, please do tell me, how did you achieve inner peace?"

"I felt all the emotions that a bot could feel, both evil and good, and shackled them. Now they come out when I say they can, instead of them coming out unbidden. It was the ultimate control, the ultimate freedom. He explained this without fear, knowing that every bot achieved that special state differently. There were a few cases of bots doing it the same way, but it was nearly unheard of. "It pushed me over the edge to enlightenment, and now I get to be flashy, loud, and fun."

"However you want to be, with no regrets, hm?" Prowl observed, still unmoved from his stance. "Sounds incredible. A mastery of the mind, that must have made any physical task to be a simple errand, including the mastery of Circuit Su?"

"No, they were both hard, and I only achieved enlightenment after becoming the master you know today," Jazz answered, shrugging a little. "The mental was considerably harder, though, especially desire..." he trailed off, giving off yet another hint.

"I would have to say the two toughest emotions to master would be jealousy and lust," the mechanical ninja countered, aware of the other mech's attempt. "I, however, am still far from mastery of circuit su. I imagine my path to enlightenment to be long and demanding."

Jazz silenced himself, aware that his attempts just weren't working. What the slag could he say? He knew he was getting through to Prowl, but it just wasn't being well-received. At all. That barrier between them seemed more like a chasm, and he despaired. "Please, Prowl, I don't know how else to drop hints. Slaggit, I love you, alright? I may not have known you long, but I do. I do, slaggit, I do. That was the one emotion I was missing, and you were the catalyst. It just never faded. Happy?"

Prowl was no less than stunned by blatant confession. He was no loud or outright booming mech, very much the opposite of someone like sentinel. It was hard for him to express anything, let alone his feelings. How could Jazz love him, if they had only known one another for a day? Well, yes, he had met the mech once before, in the past, but the first time, he had been merely a vorn old, barely able to fend for himself. The second time they had met, he was watching Jazz face off in a duel, when for a moment, the master just happened to look his way. Prowl had nearly idolized the mech, unaware that one day they would be meeting like this. "I...I do not know what to say to you...truly, I am at a loss for words."

Jazz gave a meager grin, shrugging a little. "I don't know what to say to your speechlessness, except that I heard of everything you did from a very proud Tigatron. That, and the times that I saw you, you moved with such grace, and you spoke with such gentle compassion... It was endearing, and I made it my business to know you without you knowing me. Dig?"

"I...see," Prowl observed, still unable to formulate a proper reply. What was he to say to such a mech as Jazz? He was...such a mech, a mech that Prowl admired, even if he was not one who cared for the loud and joyous lifestyle. "I...thank you? I am glad that I was able to help you..."

Jazz just bit his glossa, shaking his head unhappily. He had even said it, said it to him outright, but nothing had happened. The chasm of time had turned into a never-ending abyss, and Jazz stood. "No problem," he murmured, transforming. "I'll see ya tomorrow?" he hid his misery behind a cheerful disposition, even if it tore him up.

Now was Prowl's turn to reach out, as he stood and raised a hand, reaching out in the direction of the ready-to-depart saboteur. "Wait. just one moment."

Jazz knew he would regret this sometime in the future, but he lived in the now. That was his problem, and perhaps that was why he was too impatient to try and pursue Prowl. Jazz couldn't think ahead, didn't want to. It was now, it was here, that he worried about. "What's up?" he asked, transforming and turning to the mech.

"I...admire you more than any other mech..." Prowl explained, aware of the other mech's tenseness. He knew Jazz wasn't just going to wait for love to develop, when he wanted it here and now. He couldn't let him down, he couldn't allow the mech to simply give up just yet. He approached calmly, shooting the mech a small smile. "I would like to offer you a token of gratitude, for coming to meet here with me.

Jazz waited patiently, his optics under his visor dimming with doubt. He still had no idea what Prowl wanted, but he knew that it had to be important, or they both would be gone.

Prowl beckoned the mech to lean in closer, and took him by the hand. This was a daring move on his part, he knew, but he did not want Jazz to lose interest. He wanted the mech to pursue him, and perhaps...some spark could come to exist between them. In order to do so, however, he needed to keep Jazz from giving up; he needed to show him that his efforts truly were getting him somewhere.

He reached up and calmly, softly, placed an energy burst upon the metallic lips of the saboteur.

Jazz didn't have the concept of time that most mechs had. Enlightenment had made him outside of the loop, and now he teasingly pulled Prowl close, pulling away from the cycleformer to navigate his mouthplates to Prowl's audios. "Well, Prowler, looks like you committed yourself..." he chuckled fondly, picking Prowl up. "Let's say we show each other some other moves, hm?"

Prowl hesitated, aware that he had gone past the point he had previously set for himself earlier that day. What was he to do, what was he to say? He couldn't deny the mech. No, he could never deny Jazz anything. It was incredible, how a bot could be like him. Somehow, he was full of peace and stillness, but at the same time, focused on partying and having fun, listening to music at a soothing trillion-and-one decibels.

"I'm not so sure about this..." he began, unable to formulate a proper protest. No, he still could not deny the sleek mech anything. He felt himself leave the soft earth as he was lifted into the saboteur's arms, and gave up all protest. His spark was singing with contentment. How could he lie about that?

He leaned against the larger mech, electing to speak softly into those ever-so-sensitive audios. "Primus, I love you too."


End file.
